Degradation of histamine and tyramine by Staphylococcus xylosus isolated from sausage produced in the Basilicata area (Italy)

The ability to degrade tyramine and histamine in 26 strains of Staphylococc us xylosus, isolated from craftmade fermented sausages produced in Basilica ta region, was investigated. In these sausages a general decrease of total amine amounts during the first 7 days was observed. Twenty-one oxidase posi tive strains of 5. xylosus were detected: seventeen oxidized both the amine s, even if with different percentages of degradation; three of them (S28, S 47 and S78) showed only histamine oxidase activity, the strains S80 degrade d only tyramine. The greatest monoaminooxidase activity was observed for th e strains S81 and S206, that caused 100 and 93% histamine decrease respecti vely.